On December 16, 2017, Swarn Singh–an observant Sikh American husband and father–was brutally attacked while working as a taxi driver.
Mr. Singh had parked outside an apartment building to drop off Rory Benson and his mother. Suddenly, Mr. Benson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, brutally attacked Mr. Singh. He grabbed the piece of cloth Mr. Singh used to clean his windshield and tried to suffocate him with it. Mr. Singh immediately ran out of the taxi, and his attacker grabbed a hammer from his bag, chasing him on foot. His attacker caught up to Mr. Singh and hit him in the head repeatedly, specifically targeting his turban and knocking it to the ground. Mr. Singh suffered a skull fracture and scalp laceration as a result of the attack. Mr. Singh was transported to the hospital, and his attacker was arrested.
In response, the Sikh Coalition represented Mr. Singh and provided free legal support during court proceedings. For 11 months, we worked with Mr. Singh to make sure the Bellevue Police Department and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office were properly investigating the incident and filing appropriate charges.
IMPACT
On December 14, 2018, Mr. Singh’s attacker was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.
In Mr. Singh’s impact statement, he urged his attacker to recognize the damage caused, detailing his injuries and the impact of the assault on the Sikh community.
“I am deeply thankful for the Sikh Coalition’s support and relentless advocacy. Nobody should endure this violence, but if this happens to another Sikh, it’s incredible to have the Sikh Coalition’s free legal services.”
–Swarn Singh, Sikh Coalition Legal Client
WHY IT MATTERS
Violent crimes damage the lives of survivors, their families, and the communities in which they live. Hate crimes, in particular, can have deep, lasting effects on survivors and targeted communities. Thus, when Sikhs are targeted because of hate, it is imperative that law enforcement authorities document these attacks as hate crimes and prosecutors pursue hate crime charges. Given the lack of evidence in Mr. Singh’s case, the prosecutor was not able to pursue a hate crime charge.
Still, the Sikh Coalition provided free legal support to Mr. Singh, and will continue to do so for Sikhs who are discriminated against or subject to bias because of their faith. In these types of cases, quality legal support can be the determining factor in the outcome of a case, but cost can be prohibitive; accordingly, we will always strive to provide the best legal support available to those who need it.